A Legacy of Leadership
Our Executive Director Retired
Cindy Duenas dedicated a major part of her career to Center for Human Services (CHS). Her journey began in 1997 as a Program Manager. Over the last 27 years she held several roles, demonstrating her leadership and commitment to the agency, the last being Executive Director, the role she held since 2010.
Cindy reflects on her years with the agency, “What a privilege to lead CHS for the past 14 years and to see how the agency has grown and changed in response to the needs of our community. The agency has been blessed with great partnerships, a strong board of directors, generous donors and amazing employees. I’m honestly just so grateful to have called CHS my work home all these years.” Cindy’s tenure included several milestones of which she is deeply proud. In 2014, CHS acquired the old Roller King building located at 2000 W. Briggsmore Avenue, in Modesto and remodeled it to be the agency’s administrative headquarters. This building has continued to provide CHS with opportunities that anchored growth in other areas. CHS provides mental health counseling, substance use disorder treatment, and school-based services at the main office.
Recently one of the agency’s accomplishments under Cindy’s leadership was the creation of the Youth Navigation Center of Stanislaus County (YNC), a one-stop service hub for youth 13-24 who are in crisis, unstably housed, and/or experiencing homelessness. Since opening its doors in 2021, hundreds of young people have moved from the streets to shelter and ultimately to a stable housing situation. “The YNC is a great example of what can be accomplished when we focus on system level solutions. It’s an upstream strategy to catch young people in their first episode of homelessness and divert them from the devastating impact of the chronic homelessness we see on the streets.”, Cindy remarks.
As she enters this new chapter in life, Cindy is looking forward to spending time with family and friends, traveling, volunteering at her church and “easing into retirement”. She plans to keep the door open to any opportunities that may arise to continue supporting CHS and other non-profits. She says, “I love CHS and will continue to support the agency in any way I can. The agency’s future is bright and full of opportunities. I’m confident that CHS is in good hands and am excited to see what the future brings.”
Towards New Horizons
Gina Machado is the new Executive Director of Center for Human Services. Gina brings a deep passion for the mission of CHS, having served in various capacities within the agency over the last 23 years.
Her journey with CHS began in 2001 as a volunteer, where she quickly fell in love with the agency. Eager to deepen her involvement, she became a member of the Board of Trustees for 6 years, leveraging her skills to contribute meaningfully to CHS’s growth and impact.
Gina officially joined CHS in 2017 as the Development and Communications Director. With an education in business administration and a background of 15 years in banking, Gina brings a wealth of experience ready to lead CHS into its next chapter of success.
Gina expresses her enthusiasm for the future of CHS, “I am truly excited about what the future holds and look forward to continuing to show up where we are needed most.” With Gina leading the way, we are excited about the future and the continued positive impact of CHS in our community.
